Aust aid pushing back against China in PNG

Australia is lucky China is so bad at foreign aid in Papua New Guinea.

The evidence was everywhere in Port Moresby, where Papua New Guinea was hosting its first major international summit this week.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting was notable for the escalating trade war between China and the United States, but there were key wins for Australia.

Once the colonial rulers of PNG, Australia took its eye off the ball in terms of its closest neighbour.

Aid budgets were slashed across the board in 2014 under Tony Abbott, opening space for a rising China to fill the void.

And China definitely did - but luckily for Australia, they've done it badly.

For example, PNG's best road went from the airport to the port. China spent months ripping it up and rebuilding it ahead of APEC, reportedly because it was the road President Xi Jinping would drive on.